Brad Keselowski reflects on Talladega success

Posted on April 27, 2018April 28, 2018 by Holly Cain

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Brad Keselowski’s first experience in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory circle came in 2009 at Talladega Superspeedway – the largest track on the circuit, in front of the rowdiest fans and competing against a field filled with the biggest names in stock car racing.

He considers that April afternoon – surprising the field in his part-time gig driving for the smaller James Finch-owned team – one of the most pivotal moments in his championship career.

“That was a huge, huge win for me,” Keselowski, 34, recalled. “I think that first win put me in position to be with Penske. I don’t know if I would have been with Penske without that. That was huge for me.

“It opened up a lot of doors. I was able to get through them in a time period when they weren’t really handing out quality rides like they were candy. It opened up a door for me to earn it. I am glad to be here and I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for that first win.”

Keselowski shows up in Talladega this weekend as the track’s winningest driver in Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m., FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) field with five Talladega trophies total. But the 2012 Cup champion insisted Friday that each race at this vast venue presents a unique challenge and despite all the success he’s had, Keselowski figures he’s still got his work cut out for him this weekend.

“Maybe I have just been lucky five times,” Keselowski said, smiling. “I think there is a luck factor to Talladega that will always be there and there is a skill factor that seems to always be a moving target with different tactics and techniques based on the rules, regulations and competitors.

“What it took to win here the first time is certainly not what it will take to win here this weekend. You have to adapt to that and that is a big challenge when you have something you are successful with.

“I would say that with the way the cars are driving so far this weekend it will take something completely different again to be successful here. I look at it as a fairly open weekend with a lot of unpredictability, even for Talladega standards. With that is an opportunity as well. We are certainly going to have to earn it.”

A win at Talladega this weekend would not just be another trophy to display, but a ticket into the 2018 Playoffs. Although he has five top-10 finishes and is ranked fifth in the standings, Keselowski is still winless this season. And so are his talented Penske Racing teammates Logano and Ryan Blaney.

That’s not to say the effort hasn’t been there, however. Keselowski has led a combined 118 laps in four races. Logano, who is ranked second in the points standings, has led 131 laps (in six races). And Blaney, who is ranked eighth, has led a team-best 364 laps (in four races).

And even if Keselowski wouldn’t go so far as to consider himself the odds-on favorite this weekend, the statistics certainly make a case for him and his Penske Racing team. Keselowski has won three of the last seven races at Talladega and his teammate Logano has two victories in that span.

“I think Talladega has been a good track for us for sure,” Keselowski said. “I come here excited and feeling like we can win and there is a lot to be said for that. It is the kind of confidence you need to have to run well here.

“Also we come here with pretty strong cars which always make your job a little bit easier. I think this year it seems as though the cars are quite a bit different than they have been in my history here. They are a lot faster and handling quite a bit worse.

“I told somebody today that I felt like I was in 1985 with the way the cars are driving. That said, I expect a little bit of a different race than what we have seen here. I am not really sure exactly what to predict but we are hopeful it will be a great day for us.”

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Zack Albert

TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR competition officials issued a Friday afternoon rules update to further reduce horsepower after observing blistering speeds and a rollover crash in Monster Energy Series practice.

Officials reduced the size of the engine restrictor plates from 7/8 of an inch to 55/64th of an inch in an effort to slow the cars ahead of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the 2.66-mile track. All practice was completed Friday, so teams will make their first laps with the new rules in Saturday’s Busch Pole Qualifying (1:05 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).

A NASCAR spokesperson said the change was “absolutely a safety issue” and that the series was positioned to react when cars lift off the racing surface.

Two Friday events prompted the change. The most dramatic episode was Jamie McMurray’s tumbling crash on the backstretch early in final practice. McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet lifted in a sideways slide before being sent up and over by contact from Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Chevy. McMurray emerged unhurt.

Practice speeds also reached high levels in both sessions. Ty Dillon topped early practice at 202.959 mph, and McMurray’s lap of 203.975 mph was fastest in the final session.

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Staff Report

Two-round, single-car qualifying on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET (on FOX) will determine the starting order for Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway. The top-12 cars from the opening round will transfer on to the final round to battle for the Busch Pole Award at the 2.66-mile track. Here’s a look at the order that the cars will go off on Saturday.

#	Car	Driver	Team
1	15	Ross Chastain(i)	Chevrolet
2	55	* Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet
3	51	Timmy Hill(i)	Keen’s Building/Race to Erase Opioids Ford
4	72	Cole Whitt	1950 Clothing Company Chevrolet
5	23	Gray Gaulding	Earthwater Toyota
6	96	* DJ Kennington	Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
7	00	Joey Gase(i)	Sparks Inc. Chevrolet
8	92	* Timothy Peters(i)	Advance Auto Parts/BTS Tire & Wheel Ford
9	37	Chris Buescher	Degree Chevrolet
10	32	Matt DiBenedetto	Can-Am/Wholey Ford
11	47	AJ Allmendinger	Kroger ClickList Chevrolet
12	42	Kyle Larson	Credit One Bank Chevrolet
13	38	David Ragan	Bad Boy Mowers Ford
14	95	Kasey Kahne	Procore Safety Qualified Chevrolet
15	34	Michael McDowell	Love’s Travel Stops/Roller Bites Ford
16	6	Trevor Bayne	AdvoCare Ford
17	43	Darrell Wallace Jr. #	Petty’s Garage/Medallion Bank Chevrolet
18	9	Chase Elliott	NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
19	12	Ryan Blaney	Menards/Richmond Ford
20	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Fifth Third Bank Ford
21	14	Clint Bowyer	Haas Automation Demo Day Ford
22	2	Brad Keselowski	Snap On Ford
23	41	Kurt Busch	Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford
24	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford
25	24	William Byron #	Liberty University Chevrolet
26	88	Alex Bowman	Nationwide Chevrolet
27	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet
28	10	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford
29	4	Kevin Harvick	Busch Beer Flannel Ford
30	62	* Brendan Gaughan	Beard Oil Dist/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
31	3	Austin Dillon	Dow Scooper Cat Chevrolet
32	21	Paul Menard	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
33	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota
34	18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s Flavor Vote Toyota
35	31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar Chevrolet
36	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota
37	20	Erik Jones	XYO Network Toyota
38	19	Daniel Suarez	ARRIS Toyota
39	13	Ty Dillon	GEICO Chevrolet
40	1	Jamie McMurray	DC Solar Chevrolet

* Required to qualify on time
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
# Indicates driver is running for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Staff Report

Take a look at which drivers have the best 10-lap averages this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

FINAL PRACTICE: Results

Pos	Car	Driver	From Lap	To Lap	Avg Speed
1	4	Kevin Harvick	7	16	195.065
2	22	Joey Logano	7	16	194.420

PRACTICE 1: Results

Pos	Car	Driver	From Lap	To Lap	Avg Speed
1	11	Denny Hamlin	7	16	198.109
2	18	Kyle Busch	9	18	197.977
3	38	David Ragan	3	12	194.983
4	34	Michael McDowell	3	12	194.969
5	3	Austin Dillon	12	21	194.471
6	6	Trevor Bayne	1	10	192.516
7	43	Darrell Wallace Jr.	2	11	192.412
8	88	Alex Bowman	1	10	191.990
9	42	Kyle Larson	1	10	185.779
10	47	AJ Allmendinger	14	23	183.582
11	48	Jimmie Johnson	1	10	179.275

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Staff Report

Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet went airborne roughly 10 minutes into Friday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway, barrel rolling down the backstretch and forcing several drivers to bring out their back-up vehicles.

McMurray emerged from the car and walked to a waiting ambulance to take him to be evaluated at the care center.

“I think I blew a left rear tire out,” McMurray said. “When you’re going that fast and you go sideways you kind of know someone is going to hit you.”

WATCH: McMurray on what happened | Ty Dillon in-car camera

Because McMurray’s car lifted off the ground and because practice speeds were so fast, NASCAR officials made a rules tweak to the existing race package at Talladega, all in the name of safety. Officials reduced the size of the engine restrictor plates from 7/8 of an inch to 55/64th of an inch in an effort to slow the cars ahead of Sunday’s race (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

A NASCAR spokesperson said the change was “absolutely a safety issue” and that the series was positioned to react when cars lift off the racing surface.

RELATED: More on rules tweak

McMurray ended up recording the fastest practice speed about five minutes into the session, traveling 203.975 mph while navigating the track in close quarters in the draft. His No. 1 Chevrolet cut the left rear tire, according to Chip Ganassi Racing, and turned sideways in front of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Ryan Newman.

The impact from the nose of Newman’s car launched McMurray’s machine into the air. The car barrel-rolled down the backstretch, clipping the inside fencing as it rotated. The car landed upright, and McMurray emerged unhurt.

“When I realized I was going to flip, I actually shut my eyes because I don’t really want to see what’s getting ready to happen,” McMurray said. “And then it just kept, it seemed like forever. I opened my eyes a couple times and I couldn’t, I’m like I don’t know if I’m going up or down or where it’s going to hit next. So I was just thankful when it finally … a couple of times I thought it was going to stop and it just kind of kept going.”

McMurray and Newman both will move to backup cars and will start from the rear of the field according to NASCAR rules. So will Ty Dillon and Daniel Suarez, who also were involved in the chain-reaction accident as the trailing cars checked up behind McMurray and Newman.

Dillon was fastest in Friday’s opening practice.

“I just hate that we don’t get to take that car that had so much speed in practice to the race, but I think we can duplicate it with our backup car,” Dillon said. “I think that our setup was really good, and I think we can be just fine going to the race.

“Just unfortunate to tear up a race car. Nobody’s fault really. Jamie had a flat left rear and kind of a scary ride there.”

FANTASY UPDATE

Even though the drivers involved are all going to back-up cars, that shouldn’t dissuade fantasy players from the use of McMurray, Newman, Dillon or Suarez. Starting from the back means little at Talladega as the draft and drivers dropping to the back at various points will see plenty of comers and goers in the mix throughout the day. The plays really come down to who you believe in and who you like at Talladega. Bottom line, drivers going to the rear shouldn’t factor into your decision at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. — RJ Kraft

Contributing: Zack Albert (NASCAR.com) and Reid Spencer (NASCAR Wire Service)

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Pat DeCola

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Often times at Talladega Superspeedway, drivers from competing teams need to work together to navigate the high banks of the 2.66-mile track, pushing and giving in the unpredictable draft.

Saturday’s Xfinity Series Sparks Energy 300 (3 p.m. ET, FOX) will see plenty of that — both on the track … and in the broadcast booth, on pit road and in FOX’s Hollywood Hotel.

MORE: FOX announces drivers-only broadcast lineup

The network announced in February that its popular “Drivers Only Broadcast,” featuring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers getting behind the microphone, would make its return this season, ramping up its roster of talent to match its new location at the Alabama track known for frenzy, chaos and, above all else: entertainment.

“Yeah, I think for me I am looking forward to it; we had a lot of fun at Pocono last year,” Roush Fenway Racing driver and drivers-only returner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said Friday at Talladega. “Doing the pit reporting was fun, but I’m looking forward to getting in the Hollywood Hotel and giving Larry Mac (Larry McReynolds) a hard time from second-guessing (No. 17 crew chief) Brian Pattie’s pit call last week. That will be fun. Him and (Jeff) Gordon were bashing him until it worked out. I will have some fun with that.”

RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega

Stenhouse, who will move from pit road to the Hollywood Hotel, will be joined there by Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, with the returning booth team of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer and Penske’s Joey Logano tackling the race analysis and Penske’s Ryan Blaney, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones and newcomer Richard Petty Motorsports’ Darrell Wallace Jr. covering the race from pit road.

Wallace Jr. — always game to put his industry-leading authentic personality on display — is thrilled for the opportunity, though he may need to hit up the Monster Energy cooler on the way over to the production meeting. It is Talladega, after all.

“Oh yeah, we will be well-prepped up after the ‘Big One’ tonight on The Boulevard. We will be well prepped, looking forward to that,” Wallace joked. “No, I’m excited. A huge shout-out to those guys for allowing me to be a part of it. … I’m going to mess up so bad, probably call the wrong driver, the wrong car number, might even cuss or two. I don’t know, hell, damn … (laughs) … I don’t know.”

FOX did say in its initial announcement that drivers will have free rein, “as long as no one sets fire to the FOX Sports booth or pulls the plug that knocks us off the air.”

So, if the worst thing that happens is a sternly-worded letter from the FCC for profanities, consider the broadcast a success.

And for Wallace, 22nd in points and a dark-horse contender to be among those competing for the win in Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX), at the very least it allows him to have a backup career in his pocket.

“Yeah, it lets me know if this racing thing doesn’t work out, I might have a shot at TV,” he said. “So, this is my debut, this is my tryout session to keep it back in the memory bank to see if I actually can do it. But it’s going to be a good time regardless, (with) myself, Blaney and Erik on pit road. That is going to be fun, but (I’m) definitely going to watch some broadcasts tonight and see what I can pick up on because I think what we are covering like eight to 12 cars or something. Geez, that is going to be kind of tough — but it’s going to be a challenge, it’s going to be fun.

“It will be interesting to see. Definitely listen to my part because some mess-ups are going to happen.”

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Staff Report

Jamie McMurray topped the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice chart at Talladega Superspeedway – before he wrecked hard in “The Big One” about five minutes into the 50-minute session Friday.

McMurray recorded a speed of 203.975 mph in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet before he cut a left rear tire while practicing the draft in close quarters.

As McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet turned sideways after the tire went down, it collided with the No. 31 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman behind him and went airborne. McMurray barrel rolled down the backstretch and settled near the inside track wall. He quickly emerged from the car and was taken to the infield care center where he was treated and released.

“I just kept my eyes closed … and hoped it landed upright so I could get out,” McMurray told FOX.

Also sustaining damage in the wreck were the No. 14 Chevrolet of Ty Dillon and the No. 19 Toyota of Daniel Suarez. All four involved in the wreck were forced to backup cars.

After leading the first practice session, Dillon was second-fastest in the final practice at 203.610 mph. Suarez was third at 203.079 mph. Erik Jones in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (202.830 mph) and Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota (202.770 mph) rounded out the top five.

For the rest of the practice session after the wreck, cars traveled primarily in single-file order rather than practicing in the draft.

Twenty of the 38 cars recorded speeds of 200 mph or faster in the final practice session.

Monster Energy Series cars return to the track Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET (FOX) for Busch Pole Award Qualifying.

PRACTICE 1 RESULTS

Ty Dillon topped the board for Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway ahead of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Dillon got around the 2.66-mile Alabama track in his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet with a fast lap of 202.959 mph and was one of nine drivers to top 200 mph on a single lap. In two starts at Talladega, Dillon has two top-13 finishes and holds the best average finish (12.0) among active drivers.

Joining Dillon at the top of the charts were Daniel Suarez and Kyle Busch. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates each ran a fast lap of 202.680 mph. Busch is looking for his fourth-straight win of the 2018 season as he looks to sweep the month of April.

Rounding out the top five were Denny Hamlin (No. 11 JGR Toyota, 202.671 mph) and Ryan Newman (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing, 202.637 mph). Practice saw a mix of drafting packs as well as some single-car runs.

Defending race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 29th in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

Twelve teams had to serve 15-minute practice holds at the end of the 50-minute session at Talladega. The No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain, the No. 19 driven by Suarez, the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford driven by Timmy Hill served holds for being late to qualifying inspection last weekend at Richmond Raceway. The No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Kurt Busch and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr. served 15-minute holds for being late to race inspection at Richmond.

In addition, the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driven by Trevor Bayne, the No. 13 driven by Dillon and the No. 20 JGR Toyota driven by Erik Jones served holds for failing pre-qualifying inspection twice at Richmond. The No. 23 BK Racing Toyota driven by Gray Gaulding, the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by Michael McDowell and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson served holds for failing pre-race inspection twice.

MORE: Best photos from Talladega

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Zack Albert

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Trevor Bayne made his first public comments about a reduction in his 2018 racing schedule, saying Friday that both his health and his desire to compete have not waned.

Bayne’s remarks came before opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway. The comments also came two days after Matt Kenseth was announced as a part-time driver for the Roush Fenway Racing, splittling time with Bayne in the No. 6 Ford.

“First of all, my health is 100 percent,” said Bayne, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013 and was medically cleared to race. “I am as fit physically, mentally, spiritually as I have ever been to do my job well. The second part is that my desire is still as it has always been since I was 5 years old, to come to the race track every weekend and contend for wins, championships and be a driver at the top level in the Cup Series. Nothing in that has changed. I’m still going to pursue that because I feel I’ve got the ability to do that, but right now I don’t have much more to add to that.”

Bayne took no questions from media assembled outside the team’s hauler, reiterating that his focus was concentrated on winning Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the 2.66-mile track.

“I want to respect you all’s time and I know you have a ton of questions after everything that’s happened this week,” Bayne said. “But if you guys can just allow me to come into the garage and talk to my team and work through this weekend, I’d love to have that opportunity. I’m coming here to win Talladega as I’d planned to do before any of this. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Bayne, 27, is in his fourth season with team owner Jack Roush. He’ll remain with the team for an unspecified number of races as Kenseth takes over at Kansas Speedway (May 12) and the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 19).

Bayne has one victory in NASCAR’s top division, making a stunning breakthrough in the 2011 Daytona 500 for Wood Brothers Racing. Since then, his performance has been scattered. He earned no other top-five finishes in four part-time seasons for the Wood Brothers, and has gathered just four top-five results in his full-time tenure with Roush Fenway.

Those struggles have continued this year. Bayne ranks 26th in the Monster Energy Series points with a best finish of 12th place at Texas Motor Speedway.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said he spoke with his longtime Roush Fenway teammate as this week’s news developed, saying he could relate to Bayne’s position.

“I told him just to keep his head down, go out and keep running races to prove to everybody you’ve got what it takes,” said Stenhouse, the defending Talladega race winner. “Don’t really listen to anything, whether it be fans, media or other teams saying anything. Just do your deal. That was the feedback that I gave him.”

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In a move designed to strengthen a relationship that dates back more than 60 years, NASCAR announced today the acquisition of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA).

Both NASCAR and ARCA, a Midwest-based sanctioning body for stock car auto racing, share a long history: ARCA founder John Marcum raced against Bill France Sr. and worked as a NASCAR official. More recently, the series has provided a valuable platform for talented drivers looking to make it to NASCAR’s national series.

“Our NASCAR family has long had a special connection with our friends at ARCA, and this is a logical step in demonstrating our commitment to the next generation of racers,” said Jim France, NASCAR vice chairman, executive vice president and member of the sport’s founding family. “This continues the legacy our sport was built upon and will deliver the great racing our fans expect.”

RELATED: NASCAR acquires ARCA

France was the driving force behind the merger of GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series in 2012, creating the modernized International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in 2014.

ARCA began racing at Daytona International Speedway in 1964 at the behest of Bill France Sr. It kicked off its 66th season with 20-year-old Natalie Decker becoming the third female in the series to win a pole at Daytona and NASCAR Next alumni Michael Self winning.

The ARCA Racing Series will continue to operate under its current structure through the 2019 season. This year’s schedule of 20 races includes nine events at NASCAR national series venues, and three others at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks — illustrating the bond between the two sanctioning bodies.

“We are proud of the history and tradition of the ARCA Racing Series and the relationship we’ve built over six decades with NASCAR,” said Ron Drager, ARCA president and grandson of John Marcum. “We look forward to the opportunity to be more fully integrated with NASCAR and help shape the future of our sport.”

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Holly Cain

TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR announced Friday morning that it has acquired the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Series after a 60-plus year relationship between the sanctioning bodies that started with NASCAR Founder Bill France Sr. and ARCA founder John Marcum.

NASCAR Vice Chairman Jim France joined Marcum’s grandson, ARCA President Ron Drager, at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday morning to formalize the announcement.

“Our NASCAR family has long had a special connection with our friends at ARCA, and this is a logical step in demonstrating our commitment to the next generation of racers,’’ France said.

RELATED: Official NASCAR release

Much of the future between the two series is possible because of their lengthy and successful past relationship. The two founders raced against one another before founding their respective governing bodies.

“Our position in the industry over all these years — 67 years — has been really intertwined with NASCAR,’’ Drager said. “Before there was a NASCAR, before there was an ARCA, there was a relationship between the Marcum and France families. And over all these years and over all this period of time, we at ARCA have been fortunate to carve out a spot in the industry and to be able to be a constructive part of our sport. I think this is really just coming back full circle to where things started out. This provides ARCA with sustainability.

“We’re all looking toward the future and trying to figure out where we need to be and how best to stabilize and come together to make the sport stronger. I think a coming-together is a good way to do it.”

ARCA will continue to operate under its current structure through the 2019 season. Details of the 2020 season and beyond will be forthcoming. But much of what makes this union appealing is the unique market ARCA has long served and making that part of the NASCAR umbrella.

And Jim France, one of the crucial forces behind this new alliance, has proven himself a master of motorsports mergers. He brought together sportscar racing’s GRAND-AM Road Racing and American Le Mans Series in 2012, creating a thriving and “modernized” International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).

“There aren’t many industries, particularly sports franchises or leagues, that support an industry the way the France family and Marcum-Drager family has. And for them to join forces and come back together after all these years, I think that’s a compliment to not just their families, but a big message to motorsports participants, whether a car owner, crew member or participant, or fan,’’ NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton said. “I think it shows that both of those families believe in the future of stock car racing and motorsports.’’

For Drager, the future is about increased opportunity and the ability to feature the best of ARCA’s offering in drivers, venues and competition. It currently has a schedule of 20 races, including nine events at NASCAR national event venues. This February was a historic event at Daytona International Speedway with Natalie Decker, 20, becoming the third woman in ARCA’s long history to win a pole at Daytona. The race was won by a former NASCAR Next driver, Michael Self.

“The relationship is truly seven decades, and so as you wind on down the road and build relationships over an extended period of time, this was always a very natural relationship, something that just eventually made sense to formalize,’’ Drager said. “There was really no timeline on it. I think it’s just something that just very gradually and very naturally happened.’’